Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Assisted Reproductive Technologies: Pathways to Reproductive Health in India

The article examines the interrelationship between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), infertility and Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) concerning women’s reproductive health within the socio-cultural context of India. While PCOS is primarily understood as a biomedical condition affecting ovulation and hormonal balance, the paper situates it within broader implications of infertility, where the inability to reproduce is shaped by social stigma and gendered expectations. The study explores how the pressure to achieve motherhood directs women to seek modern technological help, which transforms infertility into a social problem. However, the increasing usage and reliance on ART are heavily mediated by the unequal distribution of the socio-economic conditions and religious norms of society. The study adopts a qualitative research design based on secondary data sources to examine the role of legal and institutional frameworks in regulating reproductive technologies in India, especially concerning how it restricts and at the same time enables reproductive choices. The article points out how reproduction and medical knowledge have been ‘stratified’. Further, the ‘dual burden’ of dealing with PCOS while fulfilling the expectation of motherhood falls upon women. Finally, it argues that the process of rganizational is shaped by structural inequalities and societal norms that determine women’s identity. 

Keywords:
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Assisted Reproductive Technologies, Infertility, Motherhood, Medicalisation